SAVANNAH, Ga. – Paralegal Studies student Renea Hanna has been selected as the 2019 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership (GOAL) winner for Savannah Technical College.

Hanna is a top-performing student in her program. “In addition to her grades, what I respect most about Renea is her commitment to achieve her goals,” said STC Paralegal Studies Department Head Debra Geiger, Esq. “She balances the demands of school with a full time job. At times, she is faced with the demands of work deadlines, but she never falls behind in her homework assignments. She has also shown herself to be reliable and committed to serving the legal community having volunteered as a juror for the Georgia Public Defenders Council’s annual trial skills training.”

GOAL honors outstanding students at each of the Technical College System of Georgia institutions. She will represent Savannah Tech at the statewide competition in April in Atlanta, where the statewide GOAL winner will be selected. The highly competitive process involves academic success, community engagement and public speaking. Winners are nominated by their instructors and selected after interviews with a panel of business and community leaders.

She is passionate about social justice and equality, both of which largely motivated her decision to pursue a career in the legal field. Hanna has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and anticipates acceptance into the Lamda Epsilon Chi Honor Society for Paralegal students this semester. She is on track to graduate this summer with a Paralegal Studies Associate Degree. 

Before training at Savannah Technical College, has worked as a waitress, an office manager, a bookkeeper, a personal assistant, a website manager, a photographer, a freelance artist, a jewelry maker, and held several management positions in both the retail industry and restaurant industry. She currently works as a manager at Gallery Espresso in downtown Savannah and works as an artist and jewelry designer in her free time.

“When I graduate this summer, I will be the first person in my family in three generations to obtain a college degree,” said Hanna. “I now have the direction, confidence, and ambition to push on toward even bigger goals. From here I will work as a paralegal, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, while I pursue my Bachelor’s degree and eventually, my law degree. I am on my personal path toward success and when I am asked how I got there, Savannah Technical College will always be where I begin my story.”

STC’s Paralegal Studies program prepares students for a career in the paralegal profession. The knowledge and skills emphasized in the Paralegal Studies program include ethical obligations; research in state and federal law; legal correspondence preparation; family law matters; basic concepts of real property law; criminal law and procedure; civil litigation; substantive contract law; and wills, trusts and probate. Paralegals, also called legal assistants, work closely with attorneys, judges, prosecutors or public defenders. Graduates receive a Paralegal Studies Associate of Applied Technology degree. Contact Geiger at 912.443.5715 or dgeiger@savannahtech.edu for more information or visit: www.savannahtech.edu/ParalegalStudies.

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#1931 |February 21, 2019
Business and Professional Services Academic Advisor: Amber Robinson
912.443.5719 or arobinson@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College Electrical Construction and Maintenance Department Head James Halford has been selected as STC’s 2019 Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year. The Rick Perkins Award for Excellence in Technical Instruction honors outstanding faculty members at each of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) institutions. Halford will represent Savannah Technical College in the statewide competition.

“Mr. Halford’s considerable experience as a TCSG student, as well as his 12 years of experience as a TCSG Instructor, make him uniquely qualified to relate to his students and to be the perfect ambassador for technical education across the state,” said STC President Dr. Kathy Love.

He is well-versed in all aspects of electrical and industrial systems and is a proud TCSG graduate. He holds a diploma in Industrial Electrical Technology and four additional credentials from South Georgia Technical College (Residential Wiring Technician, Commercial Wiring Technician, Supervisory Management Specialist and Certified Forklift Operator). He has also earned an Industrial Systems Technology Associate Degree and four additional certifications from Savannah Technical College (Programmable Control Technician, Industrial Maintenance Assistant and Industrial Instrument Assistant).

Additionally, he has had success in his field at all levels, working as a maintenance helper for a large manufacturer, as a journeyman electrician, master electrician and a field supervisor – all of experience helps give him insight to the working world for which he prepares his students. 

Halford has led STC’s college-wide Skills USA efforts for three years. Through his leadership, the College has proudly celebrated 36 state award winners and three national award winners. He was instrumental in our college receiving a $233,000 grant from Georgia Environmental Finance Authority that provided scholarships for students in photovoltaic systems. He also led the installation of a solar array on one of STC’s campus buildings. 

The Rick Perkins Instructor of the Year award has been an ongoing statewide event since 1991 and is designed to recognize technical college instructors who make significant contributions to technical education through innovation and leadership in their fields.  Formerly known as the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence, the Rick Perkins Award was renamed in memory and honor of Thomas “Rick” Perkins, an instructor at West Central Technical College, now West Georgia Technical College, who received the Commissioner’s Award of Excellence prior to his untimely death. TCSG provides oversight for the Rick Perkins Award program through the system office’s programming staff, the presidents’ Academic Improvement committee and the state planning committee.

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#1930 | February 21, 2019

  Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College has selected Kelly Collingsworth as its Career Services Coordinator. In this role, she will interface with business and industry recruiters to identify job openings and provide career development counseling to students and prospective students. She will also assist students with developing resumes and cover letters and job interview preparation. Additional responsibilities include coordinating job fair activities, promoting program services to the community; coordinating with faculty members to assist student in securing employment; developing and maintaining an employment database; participating in community events and volunteer opportunities; serving as the key student affairs staff member responsible for capturing and recording placement data.

Prior to coming to Savannah Tech, Collingsworth worked as a Marketing and Sales coordinator for Savannah Quarters, Outreach Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at Johns Hopkins University and served as the Executive Director of Keep Bulloch Beautiful.  She has a Master of Arts in professional communication and leadership from Georgia Southern University and a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies from Augusta University. She and her husband-to-be, Andrew, enjoy working on their urban farm and residing in the Lowcountry.

Savannah Technical College’s Career Services promotes opportunities for experiential learning, assists workforce development, cultivates and maintains partnerships with employers, and serves as a resources for staff, faculty, and the community. Career Services also supports employers with the recruitment, hiring, and retention of well-qualified teams. Through the use of STC’s online job portal, Career Connections, employers can directly connect with STC’s highly trained pool of students and graduates by posting employment opportunities.

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#1928 | February 19, 2019

Career Services: Kelly Collingsworth
kcollingsworth@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu

SAVANNAH – The Savannah Technical College Foundation Community Council will host the 2019 Tribute to Community STARs (Savannah Tech Achievement Recognition awards) at noon on Friday, April 12, 2019, in the Eckburg Auditorium on the College’s Savannah Campus, 5717 White Bluff Road. The event, now in its thirteenth year, honors some 20+ individuals, nominated for their service and dedication at work or in the community.

The keynote, “Why Giving Back to Your Community is Important,” will be given by Roger Moss, artistic director of Savannah Children’s Choir. Moss has been a GOAL student of the year judge for the College and was honored as a STAR in 2011.

Roger Moss, Jr. is originally from Chattanooga, Tenn., where he received numerous awards for civic and artistic accomplishments. In Savannah for the past two decades, Moss has continued his community engagement focused around creating opportunities for children.

He is the co-founder of Savannah Children’s Choir, which aims to unite, mentor and transform Savannah’s children into responsible, creative and confident leaders through excellence in choral performance and music education. Also, through education and performance, he strives to instill in the next generation a love of the beauty and variety of American music. He was instrumental in the establishment of Savannah Classical Academy, a charter school that focuses on a classical and academically rigorous education while instilling a commitment to civic virtue and moral character. Currently, he is working to establish a new charter school – the Savannah Exploratory Charter Academy, which will focus on project learning.   

An accomplished singer, he graduated from Wheaton College and sang in the Wheaton College Concert Choir and Men’s Glee Club. His extensive performance career has included singing for the Archbishop of Canterbury, singing to sold-out crowds with the Savannah Symphony Orchestra and performing the role of “Jake” in the Opera Memphis production of Porgy and Bess. He was a finalist in the American Traditions vocal competition.

The Tribute event is held each spring and is sponsored by the STC Foundation Community Council, a group of young professionals charged with expanding the local knowledge and profile of Savannah Technical College and its mission and with raising funds to support the college, its programs and students. The Community Council is co-chaired by Michelle Riley and Vickie Callaway.

Nominations will be accepted through March 8, 2019 space permitting. Sponsorships begin at $1,000 to nominate a STAR and include a table for 10. Tickets cost $100 per person – seating is limited. Call 912.443.3022 for information. Proceeds from the event benefit Savannah Technical College Foundation’s support of students.

Founded in 1984, the Savannah Technical College Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization that exists to raise and disburse funds to support the College’s efforts to enhance learning, workforce training and economic development in Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties. The STC Foundation recently helped the College purchase 7 West Bay Street as the new location for an expansion of STC’s Culinary Arts program.

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#1927 | February 14, 2019

STC Executive Director Advancement and Communications: Gail Eubanks
912.443.3022 or geubanks@savannahtech.edu

Media Contact: Amy Shaffer, APR
912.443.5512 or ashaffer@savannahtech.edu